Official exchange rate in Laos
Laos: Official exchange rate was 20,167 LCU per US$, period average in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
20,167 LCU per US$, period average
Change on year
up 14.0%
World rank
5th
of 215 countries
All-time high
20,167 LCU per US$, period average
in 2024
All-time low
10 LCU per US$, period average
in 1980
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Official exchange rate in Laos, 1960–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in LCU per US$, period average.
Analysis
The most recent figure for official exchange rate in Laos is 20,167 LCU per US$, period average, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 14.0% on the previous year and up 150.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, official exchange rate in Laos peaked at 20,167 LCU per US$, period average in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10 LCU per US$, period average, in 1980.
Laos ranks 5th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Official exchange rate in Laos, year by year
| Year | LCU per US$, period average | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 80 LCU per US$, period average | — |
| 1961 | 80 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 80 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 80 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 240 LCU per US$, period average | +200.0% |
| 1965 | 240 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 240 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 240 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 240 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 240 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 240 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 240 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 510 LCU per US$, period average | +112.5% |
| 1973 | 600 LCU per US$, period average | +17.6% |
| 1974 | 600 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 725 LCU per US$, period average | +20.8% |
| 1976 | 429.17 LCU per US$, period average | -40.8% |
| 1977 | 200 LCU per US$, period average | -53.4% |
| 1978 | 333.33 LCU per US$, period average | +66.7% |
| 1979 | 367.5 LCU per US$, period average | +10.3% |
| 1980 | 10 LCU per US$, period average | -97.3% |
| 1981 | 21.67 LCU per US$, period average | +116.7% |
| 1982 | 35 LCU per US$, period average | +61.5% |
| 1983 | 35 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 35 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 55 LCU per US$, period average | +57.1% |
| 1986 | 95 LCU per US$, period average | +72.7% |
| 1987 | 187.5 LCU per US$, period average | +97.4% |
| 1988 | 400.38 LCU per US$, period average | +113.5% |
| 1989 | 591.5 LCU per US$, period average | +47.7% |
| 1990 | 707.75 LCU per US$, period average | +19.7% |
| 1991 | 702.08 LCU per US$, period average | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 716.08 LCU per US$, period average | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 716.25 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 717.67 LCU per US$, period average | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 804.69 LCU per US$, period average | +12.1% |
| 1996 | 921.02 LCU per US$, period average | +14.5% |
| 1997 | 1,260 LCU per US$, period average | +36.8% |
| 1998 | 3,298 LCU per US$, period average | +161.8% |
| 1999 | 7,102 LCU per US$, period average | +115.3% |
| 2000 | 7,888 LCU per US$, period average | +11.1% |
| 2001 | 8,955 LCU per US$, period average | +13.5% |
| 2002 | 10,056 LCU per US$, period average | +12.3% |
| 2003 | 10,569 LCU per US$, period average | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 10,585 LCU per US$, period average | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 10,655 LCU per US$, period average | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 10,154 LCU per US$, period average | -4.7% |
| 2007 | 9,603 LCU per US$, period average | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 8,740 LCU per US$, period average | -9.0% |
| 2009 | 8,511 LCU per US$, period average | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 8,254 LCU per US$, period average | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 8,029 LCU per US$, period average | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 8,007 LCU per US$, period average | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 7,833 LCU per US$, period average | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 8,042 LCU per US$, period average | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 8,128 LCU per US$, period average | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 8,124 LCU per US$, period average | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 8,245 LCU per US$, period average | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 8,401 LCU per US$, period average | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 8,679 LCU per US$, period average | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 9,046 LCU per US$, period average | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 9,698 LCU per US$, period average | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 14,035 LCU per US$, period average | +44.7% |
| 2023 | 17,689 LCU per US$, period average | +26.0% |
| 2024 | 20,167 LCU per US$, period average | +14.0% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 20,167 LCU per US$, period average is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 103.16 LCU per US$, period average, 195.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Laos's 20,167 LCU per US$, period average is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.2 LCU per US$, period average, 4797.7× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Official exchange rate in Laos changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +200.0% | 80 LCU per US$, period average | 240 LCU per US$, period average |
| 1998 | +161.8% | 1,260 LCU per US$, period average | 3,298 LCU per US$, period average |
| 1981 | +116.7% | 10 LCU per US$, period average | 21.67 LCU per US$, period average |
| 1999 | +115.3% | 3,298 LCU per US$, period average | 7,102 LCU per US$, period average |
| 1988 | +113.5% | 187.5 LCU per US$, period average | 400.38 LCU per US$, period average |
| 1972 | +112.5% | 240 LCU per US$, period average | 510 LCU per US$, period average |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 176 LCU per US$, period average | 80 LCU per US$, period average | 240 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1970s | 424.5 LCU per US$, period average | 200 LCU per US$, period average | 725 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1980s | 146.6 LCU per US$, period average | 10 LCU per US$, period average | 591.5 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,695 LCU per US$, period average | 702.08 LCU per US$, period average | 7,102 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2000s | 9,572 LCU per US$, period average | 7,888 LCU per US$, period average | 10,655 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2010s | 8,174 LCU per US$, period average | 7,833 LCU per US$, period average | 8,679 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2020s | 14,127 LCU per US$, period average | 9,046 LCU per US$, period average | 20,167 LCU per US$, period average | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 2 Iran 42,000 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 3 Vietnam 24,165 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 4 Somalia 23,098 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 6 Indonesia 16,478 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 7 Uzbekistan 12,579 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 8 Guinea 9,565 LCU per US$, period average compare
More financial sector data for Laos
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 2.3 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 1.68 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 2.3 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official exchange rate in Laos?
- Official exchange rate in Laos was 20,167 LCU per US$, period average in 2024, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest official exchange rate recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 20,167 LCU per US$, period average in 2024.
- What is the lowest official exchange rate recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 10 LCU per US$, period average in 1980.
- How does Laos rank for official exchange rate?
- Laos ranks 5th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is official exchange rate rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 150.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. This indicator represents the ratio of Local Currency Units relative to United States dollars.This indicator is derived as an average over the reference period.